Snowbound Mystery Read Online Free PDF Page B

It snowed harder. The snowflakes were small and fine. Even through the thick trees the snow fell faster and faster.
    “I wouldn’t like to be stuck in the snow!” exclaimed Benny. “Nobody would know where we are!”
    “We won’t get stuck, Ben,” Henry told him. “Don’t worry about that. You couldn’t really get stuck in the deep snow because we can walk two miles before the snow can get that deep. Just keep going.”
    Watch was the one who trotted along steadily, without hurrying. He never looked to the right or to the left, just straight ahead.
    “Good boy,” said Benny. Watch didn’t even turn his ears.
    “I’d never believe this,” said Henry, “if I didn’t see it. The snow is already an inch deep.”
    Jessie added, “Remember, Henry, this is in the woods, too. It must be deeper than this where there are no trees. Oh, I’m just about frozen. Isn’t it cold?”

    “Well, we have enough stuff to eat when we get to the cabin,” said Benny. “If we ever get there. We can make our food last a long time if we get snowed in.”
    Uphill and downhill they went, bowing their heads in the driving snow. The flakes were bigger and bigger. The children could hardly see the path. They slipped a few times, but nobody fell.
    Watch’s legs seemed to grow shorter and shorter. He could not trot now, he had to hop along over the deep snow.
    But they made it. When Henry unlocked the cabin door the snow was four inches deep on the step. They stamped their feet and went in and locked the door behind them.
    “Well!” said Jessie.
    Nobody else said a word. They all took off their jackets and hung them on nails to dry. Henry fixed the fire, saying nothing. It was already twelve o’clock. Jessie got a pan of water from the faucet and put it on the stove to heat. She thought her family needed some hot chocolate. They thought so, too, when they smelled it.
    Violet got out the frying pan and soon bacon was frying. When they sat down to eat, Henry said, “Now I have something to say. This is a very early snow. Nobody expected it. It can’t possibly last long and we are in no danger.”
    Jessie said, “Just one thing bothers me. Grandfather must be worrying about us, and the Nelsons probably are, too.”
    “But we can’t do a thing about it,” said Henry. “We can’t get down to the road and we can’t send a message.”
    “So let’s enjoy it!” finished Benny.
    “That’s exactly what I mean,” said Henry, smiling at his brother. “I’m going out in the snow soon to shovel the steps and a narrow path around the house. Then I’m going to clear a small place in the back of the house under the window where the trees were cut down. Right under the bird feeder.”
    “I’ll help you,” said Benny. “There are two shovels.”
    “Thanks, Ben.”
    It was cold and still snowing hard. The two boys managed to shovel an open square under the window. They threw the snow to one side.
    Henry said, “This cleared place will fill up right away, but we can shovel it out again.”
    “It will be easier the second time,” Benny said. “Not so deep.”
    Henry looked up at the roof to see the squirrels’ hole, but he could hardly see the roof! It was deep with white snow. He said, “I guess the squirrels won’t have to worry for a while. I’m not going up on the roof today, hole or no hole.”
    “Another noisy night, then,” said Benny. “We could invite the squirrels down and play with them, if we didn’t have Watch.”
    “Now, Ben, don’t get any ideas,” said his big brother. “I’d just like to know how big that hole is.”
    The hole was simply enormous. But the Aldens did not know that yet.

CHAPTER 7
    Making Do
    T hat night when the Aldens went to bed it was still snowing. And it was getting colder. More than that, the wind was beginning to blow.
    “I call this a blizzard,” said Henry. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
    And indeed there had never been anything like it in this part of the